Wednesday 16th December 2012
It's been doom and gloom since we lost our boom
and the rain has never stopped falling,
we've been soaked to the skin
but we'll take it on the chin
as the sea has been our calling
As food supplies dwindle
power's low on the kindle
we wonder how far we've to go
the sails are in tatters
but the racing still matters
never heed the carnage below
When we hear "land ahoy!"
you can imagine our joy
the end of the voyage is near
cocktails, rum on the beach
it's almost in reach!
and we're just about out of boat beer......
The final hours.......
We try hard to reach Rodney Bay before sundown but are less than an hour too late. We cross the finish line at 1818hours local time and are we glad to hear that horn!
There are however, a final few challenges - the headsail furler is jammed so we cannot roll it away - we have to drop it to the deck and lash to the guardrail. We have no engine power. We discover that a bit for the windlass has been broken during the boom break so we're going to struggle to get the anchor down... While all this is happening the photo action man is whizzing around us in his rib - www.photoaction.com
The preventer rope got wound round the prop during the boom break hence no engine power. Nathan and Annie agree to snorkel down (in the shark dark!) to unfankle but it's well wrapped round and with only a weak underwater torch it's too difficult a task without daylight. Disappointed, we all agree to stay at anchor until the morning. There's some debate as to whether or not we should get the dinghy in the water but we're far from shore and we're all too tired. We have an early night falling asleep to the teasing sounds of the partying ashore - so near but yet so far.... We're all up bright and early in the morning. Nathan and Annie snorkel to free the prop and we motor gently into harbour not long after dawn. Welcoming steel drums and rum punch await us on the pontoons - we made it! Off we go to celebrate in fairly spectacular style................The End x